There are countless fans of Italian cuisine in the world. And this is due to the fact that the dishes have a refined taste and are easy to prepare. In our country, Italian dishes are especially appreciated. And therefore, today we bring to your attention a risotto with Russian flavor, namely: pearl barley risotto with mushrooms.
How to choose the right pearl barley
When buying pearl barley for cooking it in a risotto, you need to pay attention to its appearance:
- It should not be any impurities.
- The color may be white, light yellow, even a greenish tint is allowed.
- If there is moisture in the package, discard it, as this is a spoiled product.
This is the type of cereal that is best stored in cardboard packaging. The fact is that this way pearl barley can “breathe”, because when it is stored, moisture is released from the core, which can safely evaporate without delay in packaging. And in the bag the cereal will get wet, which will render it unusable. If you feel a bitter taste, the cooking product is lost.
Why is risotto made from pearl barley
Italians use rice for risotto, and pearl barley in Russia is considered a simple variety of cereals, which was very often used in the diet of Soviet citizens. Despite this, for Italians, pearl barley risotto is an unconventional dish that is prepared on special occasions, since the cost of this cereal is many times higher than the price of ordinary rice. This risotto is an amazing taste dish. After all, the croup is pleasantly slippery on the outside, and hard inside. This makes pearl barley risotto unique and enjoyable for connoisseurs of Italian dishes with a Russian motif.
Preparatory stage
Before starting cooking, you need to prepare the cereal: it needs to be soaked for several hours. A broth of mushrooms will serve as a broth. Porcini mushrooms are best suited. They can be taken dried or fresh.
Remember that before using any mushrooms (except mushrooms), they must be boiled and knocked over in a colander, and only then proceed to frying. The fact is that all forest mushrooms absorb all elements of the soil during the growth process, and it may contain hazardous substances for human health.
Mushroom Barley Risotto Recipe
First you need to prepare the products, namely:
- pearl barley - 200 g;
- mushrooms (porcini or champignons) - 250 g;
- Parmesan cheese - 100 g;
- mushroom broth (after cooking) - 1 liter;
- onions - 2-3 pieces;
- a bunch of greens (parsley);
- basil leaves;
- wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon;
- white wine (preferably dry) - 100 ml;
- butter - 1 tablespoon;
- olive oil - 50 ml;
- salt, ground pepper - to taste.
We turn to the direct preparation of risotto from barley.
When the barley has settled, we tip it over in a colander and drain the liquid. In the meantime, we take a frying pan and heat it, adding olive oil to it. When the pan has warmed up to the required temperature, lay out the barley and fry it with the addition of wine vinegar. So it will become more fragrant and elastic in structure.
For a short time, vinegar is evaporated from the cereal, and then the wine is poured with constant mixing of barley. After 5 minutes, the wine also evaporates, then you can proceed to the next stage.
Pour the broth into the groats, add salt, pepper and leave it to cook for 20 minutes.
While pearl barley is gradually turning into a risotto, we proceed to the mushrooms. Cut the boiled and washed mushrooms into pieces, with onions does the same. All together we send to a heated pan with olive oil and fry.
When the mushrooms with onions and barley separately are ready, we combine all the ingredients and continue to fry them in a pan, with the addition of greens. In the meantime, we rub the cheese.
Add butter, grated cheese, mix everything and serve. Mushroom risotto from pearl barley is ready.
Enjoy your meal!